Marruecos participa en la Exposición Bienal de Defensa DefExpo 2022
More than 13 African Defence Ministers will be in India as participants in the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) to be held between 18-22 October. The conference will be the twelfth defence exhibition and will be chaired by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The first India-Africa Defence Ministers' Conclave was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, in conjunction with DefExpo on February 6, 2020.
On the sidelines of DefExpo, IADD will explore new areas of convergence for mutual engagement, including in areas such as capability development, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter-terrorism. India has been increasing defence and security cooperation with the African continent in recent years amid China's relentless attempts to expand its presence in the region.
This mega defence expo focuses on land, air, naval and homeland security systems, All India Radio said. More than 1,300 companies will participate, there will be more than 10 pavilions from ten states and representatives from more than 50 countries, making it the largest defence exhibition ever held in India.
Among the representatives, Morocco and Egypt represent North Africa. The event's seminars will be held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar in a hybrid format and will be delivered by leading industry associations, think tanks and Indian defence public sector entities. Also, by service headquarters, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Directorate General of Quality Assurance, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the State Government. The seminars will address exports, financing and investments in defence start-ups, the emerging role of small and medium enterprises in aerospace manufacturing, defence research and development and futuristic autonomous technologies for air dominance.
The overall theme of the dialogue will be "India-Africa: adopting a strategy to create synergies and strengthen defence and security cooperation". "India's approach towards Africa is guided by the Kampala Principles enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. India's engagement is based on African priorities as outlined by Africans themselves," India's Ministry of Defence mentioned in an official statement.
"The exhibition will also host the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD), with invitations extended to 53 African countries. A separate Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave with participation of approximately 40 countries," a Defence Ministry press release read.
At a recent public event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "There was a time when India was exporting only $23 million worth of Defence equipment. The figure today has crossed $157 million". During FY22, private investments were pegged at 70% of the country's total exports.
I will be leaving for Gandhinagar tomorrow on a four day visit to Gujarat. Asia’s biggest ever aerospace & defence exhibition Defexpo-2022 will be held in Gandhinagar.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 16, 2022
I shall be attending the DefExpo and various other events including the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.
At DefExpo 2022, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will showcase a wide range of 430 products covering strategic and tactical weapon systems, defence equipment and technologies at Gandhinagar from October 18-22. According to official data, India extended concessional loans of over $12.3 billion to Africa and completed 197 projects so far. India's bilateral trade with Africa reached $89.5 billion in 2021-22, up from $56 billion in the previous year. According to information provided by the Ministry of Defence, approximately 80 countries currently import Defence equipment, sub-systems, parts and components from India.
